Abrasive composition and method of making same.



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO H. BAEKELAND, OF YONKEBS, NEW YORK.

ABRASIVE COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME. I

942,808. No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO H. BAEKELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the. county of -Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Abrasive Compositions and Methods of Making Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to abrasive, grinding or polishing'compositions and the object of the invention is to provide a composition suitable 'for abrasive purposes or for grinding, polishing or like operations, and a method of making the same.

' It is well known that abrasive or polishing materials such as carborundum, corundum, emery, sand, glass-powder, iron oxid, pumice, infusorialearth and the like, in pulverulent form, may be compounded with clay, glue, shellac, rubber, nitrocellulose, resinous bodies, etc., and formed into grinding wheels, sharpening stones and other abrasive and polishing implements. I have discovered that the infusible and insoluble condensation products of formaldehyde and phenol or its homologues, compounded with abrasive, grinding or polishing materials in a-suitable state of subdivision, yield compositions possessing novel qualities of characteristics and presenting marked advantages over the abrasive compositions heretofore known. These advantages result from the physical and chemical characteristics of the composition, as well as from the simplified manufacture and low cost of the product.

My abrasive composition may be prepared as follows: Commercial phenol or its homologues, hereinafter referred to as a phenolic body, is mixed with commercial formaldehyde, usually in approximately molecular proportions. This proportion may however be considerably varied to meet 1 particular requirements. To the formaldehyde-phenol mixture I add a suitable proportion of a p'ulverulent or granular abrasive or polishing material, the proportion of the latter, being capable of very wide variation and depending entirely on the degree of hardness, compactness or coherence desiredin the final product. The thoroughly mixed mass is now hardened by submitting it to the action of heat, either at temperatures Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 26, 1807. Serial No, 5399,382.

' mass.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

hardening proceeds rapidly. In case higher temperatures are employed the hardening may roceed in whole or in part under the combined action of heat and increased pressure, the employment of pressure being for the purpose of preventin any lack of homogeneity or uniformity o the product due to emission of vapors with such rapidity as to cause swelling, bloatin or foaming of the The mass may e kept in a suitable nold during the entire hardening process, or the first stages of the hardenin process may be carried out in any suitab e vessel, from which the partially hardened or plas-' tic mass may be transferred to any desired mold; or the mass may be applied as by coating or painting or otherwise to any desired surface serving as a sup ort. During the reaction induced by the aid of heat the formaldehyde-phenol mixture changes into an infusible product insoluble in all ordinary solvents and unattacked by most chem- 1cal reagents. Its properties of withstanding highitemperatures and chemical action be-considerably accelerated by the addition of small quantities of catalytic or condensing agents, such for instance as acids, bases or salts.

During the condensation of the phenolformaldehyde mixture to, the infusible and insoluble product described a considerable quantity of water is liberated, and this may necessitate subsequent drying. Under certain conditions the liberated water may during the reaction period distribute itself unevenly throughout the mass in such manner as to impair its uniformity, and it may therefore be necessary in special cases to use anhydrous phenol and anhydrous formalde: hyde, or a mixture of henol and the polymers ofsformaldehyde foxytrimethylene and para-form) The employment of these materials however involves additional expense, and I' have discovered that a substantially dehydrated mixture of formaldehyde and phenol may be prepared by adding to the mixture of commercial phenol or its homolo ues and formaldehydeany readily waterso uble salt that possesses the property of abstracting water from the mixture. This se aration of water can eacad'moa readily and inex ensively b the use of ord1- na commercia sodi'um o orid." If salt be adt i cd to a mixture of commercial formaldehyde andf'phenol the .liqluid separates mto two layers; the heavier ayer consists substantially of saturated brine containin small amounts of henol, formaldehyde an other water-solu le products, while the lighter layer is .of an oil character 'and comprises. a substantially ehydrated mixture of phenol and formaldehyde or reaction products thereof.. This lighter layer or oil liquid is soluble in alcohol, acetone and ii e solvents and is excellently adapted for the purposes of this invention, as well as for the numerous other purposes for which the hard insoluble condensation rod-' not re ared therefrom is suitable. r instead of adding a water-soluble salt I may heat a mixture of phenol and formaldehyde, preferably in a' closed vessel or in an apparatus provided with a return condenser, until the mixture separates into two liquld la ers, the one a ueou's and lighter a d the other oily and heavier. The oily iquid may then be se arated for use as above. Or instead of wit drawing the oily layer the mixture may be further concentrated until the water has been ex elled by evaporation. In either case the addition of small amounts of catalytic or condensing agents, as above described, will be found to accelerate the first stage of the reaction. The oily liquid however obtained may now be mixed with the desired proportion of pulverulent or granular abrasive material, after which the mixture is'submitted to further heating or drying, either with or without the combined action of increased pressure.

The initial, condensation product above referred to as ossessing the characteristics of an oil liquid may be further heated or dried be ore mixing with the abrasive 'material, and under such treatment it will acquire increased viscosity until a point is attained at which it is of a sticky, plastic-for.

rubber-like consistence but has not yet acquired'the solubility c aracteristic of the final product. In this plastic condition the condensation product 1s capable of mixin readily with any abrasive material, and t e composition "jected to further 'molding an properties of infusibility and in-,'

to be sub- .fornied by such mixture is ready hardening operations as described above.

For the purposes of this invention the partial reaction products of phenolic bodies and formaldehyde are to be regarded as equivalent to mixtures of these compounds.

In order to facilitate the mixing of the ingredients or to impart a desired color to the ultimate mass or to modify its pro erties in any respect, the addition of suitab e proportions 0 other materials'may be resorted to, as for instance solvents, dyes, pigments, or other solid or liquid materials.

The abrasive composition may before the final hardening be ressed or molded in suitable forms or mol s, or while it is still plastic or liquid, it may be applied, coated or painted on wood, paper, metals or an other materials which 1t may be found 'a vantageous to use as supports; after a plication to such materials it may be har ened and rendered insoluble by drying or heating as described above.

claim: -l. The method of making an abrasive com position which consists in incorporating an abrasive material with a henohc body and formaldehyde and trans orming the same into an insoluble condensation product. 2. The method of making an abrasive composition which consists in incorporating an abrasive material-with a. henolic body and.

formaldehyde and trans orming the same into an insoluble condensation product by" application of heat.

3 The method of making an abrasive compos1t1on which consists in incorporating .an

abrasive material with a henolicbody and formaldehyde and trans orming the same into an insoluble condensation product by application of heat and pressure.

4. An abrasive or polishin composition containing an abrading or po ishing agent, and an insoluble condensation product of a phenolic body and formaldehyde.

In testimon whereof, I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses. I

LEO H. BAEKELAND- Witnesses:

e MARY L. SHORT, MARY E. SCHOLDING.' 

